Ayr aim to go further ahead

Ayr United hope to go seven points clear

FIRED-up Ayr United boss Ian McCall is urging his team to seize the chance to go SEVEN points clear at the Championship summit on Saturday.

With second-placed Ross County on Challenge Cup duty against Motherwell, the Honest Men could open up a huge gap if they can defeat Morton at Somerset Park.

United are four points ahead following Saturday's 1-1 draw with the manager's former club Queen of the South.

McCall said: "For us to go seven points clear would be remarkable, but that's our target and we have to win on Saturday. It won't be easy, although Morton lost on Saturday, they won their previous two games against Partick Thistle and Queen of the South.

"If we can win against Morton then this will have been a good points. It's good to increase our lead at the top. We were patient and got in areas where we really should hurt them and got 15 corners. I felt we deserved to win as we dominated most of the match, we wer always a threat but gave up a really daft goal.

"I can't be too hard on the guys as it was the first one we had lost in four games. But there was a lack of final pass."

Meanwhile goalscorer Michael Rose was "disappointed" as Ayr United conceded their first goal in four games.

However he could still take positives following the 1-1 draw against a Dumfries side, who proved tough opponents.

The defender notched his second goal in a month after bagging the winner away to Partick Thistle.

But he is not harbouring any thoughts of a title challenge but instead keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

He said: "I was delighted to get the goal but disappointed the way we lost one but it's a point gained so we can take positives from it. For the whole season we have been quite solid at the back and keeping a lot of clean sheets but we still want more.

"It's been a good start but we've not really done anything yet. We just have to keep going and take every game as it comes. and get as many points on the board as we can. Now we will re-group and go again. No one is looking ahead, it's still early days.

"I always knew I could play at this level and now have a lot of confidence so I will just need to keep going."

Skipper Jamie Adams (thigh strain) will be out for another couple of weeks. But everyone else is fit.

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